Friday, April 4, 2008

My 1st Blogoversary

Copyright © 2007-2008. Suburban Wildlife Garden. All Rights Reserved.

It's my first blogoversary today. Not sure what the netiquette rules are for announcing one's own celebration. I realize I don't have a knockout garden nor an amazing blog like some of the really talented people in the Gardening Blogosphere, but I am enjoying myself and have made some lovely friends. Thanks to all of you who've kindly commented here over the past year. You've made me feel so welcome in cyberspace.




There is another small milestone here at my house: For the first time ever one of my orchids has re-bloomed. Not sure how I managed it. Just dumb luck to be honest. But here it is...

Woohoo!

I've also decided to stop waiting for my illusive swimming pool project to materialize and am putting in some edgers around a little flower bed I've been half-heartedly planting near my back fence.

So far I have lipstick salvia...

...coral honeysuckle...

...milkweeds and an assortment of annuals & baby perennials in that area. Unfortunately I've had a few casualties: the neighborhood Tom Cat marked my year-old passionflower to death and the Lawnmower Monster murdered my newly purchased misterflower. I am hoping an edging will protect the perennial bed; if not from the cat, at least from the Lawnmower Monster.

The hummingbirds are back in force. As you can see by the cloudiness of the sugar water in the photo below it was time for a new batch of the sweet stuff yesterday...


This Black-chinned Hummingbird seemed content to sip even when I was only a few feet away.


They really are amazing acrobats...

I also have a sunflower seed feeder near my family room windows that the finches and squirrels love. This squirrel enjoys the upturned crock as his own personal throne.



Today also happens to be the beginning of the 2008 Garden Bloggers Spring Fling here in Austin. Pam, MSS, Diana and Bonnie are on the Planning Committee. Thanks ladies, for all your hard work! :-)

How lucky I am to have made new friends in only one year of blogging! Like Anne of Green Gables, I feel quite fortunate to have found some 'kindred spirits' in such a short time. For this I'm truly grateful.

Love is like the wild-rose briar;
Friendship is like the holly-tree.
The holly is dark when the rose briar blooms,
But which will bloom most constantly?~Emily Brontë


Copyright © 2007-2008. Suburban Wildlife Garden. All Rights Reserved.

13 comments:

Greg W said...

Happy Anniversary! What a lovely celebratory cake and candle.

And your orchids are gorgeous.

The honeysuckle and salvia are nice diversions while you wait for your pool.

I feed a lot of birds in my yard and am constantly chasing cats away so I feel your pain.

Good luck with keeping them away, I haven't found much that helps except showing up and scaring them away.

Here's to another year.

Good gardening.

Shelley said...

Congrats on your anniversary. Your blog was a nice find. I enjoyed the hummingbird pictures as a fellow bird & nature lover.
Shelley

Annie in Austin said...

Happy Blogiversary Dawn! It was fun to remember 'meeting' you first as a commenter, then as a blogger, then meeting you in person. I'm glad you joined the Garden blog world!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Happy blog anniversary. We started ours about the same time, mine is on the 7th.
Have fun this weekend.

Anonymous said...

Happy blogiversary! I'm so happy that blogging introduced us to each other and that I've had the privilege of getting to know you in person (and visiting your lovely home). I look forward to seeing what your second year brings to you, both blog-wise and garden-wise.

You didn't picture one of my favorite garden features in this post, your beautifully planted container pond. And your lavender. Your lavender is stupendous.

(PS. I'm a big fan of Anne of Green Gables, too. We've probably discussed that already.)

Unknown said...

Happy blogversary Dawn. So great to meet you this weekend. And a big congrats on the orchid. I always feel as if I have hit an orchid jackpot when my reblooms, since I'm sure I've killed it in between blooming!

Anonymous said...

Happy anniversary! I missed mine. :-) I feel the same about meeting people. It has also been like one huge gardening lesson for me. TAke good care! Andrea

Diana said...

Happy Blogiversary~ I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than at the Spring Fling. It was great to see you again and to get a glimpse of your garden here. And whoo hoo to you on the reblooming orchid. I'm in awe of anyone who can accomplish that feat!

Lori said...

Happy blogversary!

It was good to meet you and I can't wait to see how your garden unfolds!

Anonymous said...

I think it is altogether fitting to announce your blogiversary. Congratulations!

Dawn said...

Thanks Greg W!
I think I'd better at least keep my feeders well away from hiding places so the cat won't eat the birds. If only the owners would put a safe, loose-fitting bell collar necklace on the cat. Ah well...

Welcome Shellmo!
I'm glad you found me. It's always nice to meet another bird-lover.

Hello Annie!
Thanks for the good wishes, my friend. Someday I hope my garden will look as pretty as yours! :-)

Happy Blogoversary Robin!
I hope your celebration is very happy. Kudos to you!

Dear MSS,
Thank you, my friend. It was lovely to see you & Mr. Peeps this weekend. Thanks for inviting us into your lovely house & garden.

I'll try to take more photos of my lavender before it blows. Especially since it's one of the only things I seem to have luck with. Heh.

Yes, I love Anne, too! She made being smart & earnest seem cool.

Thanks Bonnie
It was good to see you this weekend. Thanks for all the work you did for the Spring Fling.

Dear Andrea,
I belated Happy Blogoversary to you. I would take you out for cake & tea if I could. Wish you could have been here for our Spring Fling. We missed you.

Thanks Diana
I appreciate all the work you did on the Spring Fling as well. I know you, Pam, MSS & Bonnie worked very hard to prepare. I really do appreciate you making the Spring Fling right around my blogoversary too (very considerate *wink*). Seriously though, I know everyone had a great time. Well done!

Hi Lori!
It was a pleasure to meet you too. Nice to know there's another transplant in Austin who is learning the gardening ropes as well. Sounds like you're doing a great job with your garden.

Thanks Bill!
It was a real joy to meet you. Thanks for walking with me to see the chickens on Saturday. They seemed to be living the good life.

Cheers!
Dawn

a friend said...

Love the colours of your Orchid. Do the Hummingbirds go to any of your flowers in the garden, or just the feeder? I had a honeysuckle that got a visit a few times , but I was not quick enough with the camera.

Mungo said...

Happy Blogiversary... the pictures of the hummingbird are great. I'm planning to get a hummingbird feeder up here in Toronto this coming weekend!

Cheers,

Mungo